In its efforts to deal with crime and grime in the area, the Bo-Kaap Neighbourhood Watch (BKNW) has started cleaning up the lane next to Leeuwen Street park. The lane, they said, was being used by criminals and drug users at night.
Watch chairman, Ebrahim Christian, said they had, for a long time, been planning to clean the area, but recently residents had been complaining about the activities happening in the lane throughout the night.
“We also identified the space as a health risk with all the dumping and rat infestation, it was dirty and we couldn’t even do our walkabouts in this space,” he said.
He added that there were overhanging trees and structures in the lane which was near a play park, and therefore posed a threat to children.
“Before this clean up, there was activity throughout the night in this space and since we have done this clean-up this past Sunday, there haven’t been any activity or structures,” he said.
He said they were now waiting for waste removal services to remove the rubble.
“We’ll be doing more of these in the future but for now we wanted to focus on this one because it’s between houses and a playing park and it was an easy passage for criminals,” he added.